Prince Albert made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Monday after a video circulating online, in which he asked for a second dough figurine of Bing Dwen Dwen as gifts for his children at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
"Thanks to our Chinese friends that we can have this spirit of togetherness and the opening ceremony was a great illustration of that," said the prince. "It was not only a great showcase for Chinese culture and technology, but also what the Olympic spirit means to everyone in China and the world."
"I was able to thank President Xi for that, but also everyone here in Beijing, and everyone in China that make us feel so welcomed and make this Olympic spirit alive," he added.
Prince Albert said he believed that Monaco and China have enjoyed "a great and very positive relationship that is mutually beneficial" in the areas of economy, culture, environments, sports and education.
"I think those are areas that are very important for both of our countries and all countries as well. We hope to be able to continue this relationship in the future," he noted.
Discussing China's fulfillment of engaging 300 million people in winter sports ahead of schedule, the prince recognized it as a "turning point in winter sports around the world" so that "people can engage in different winter sports and promote a healthy lifestyle."
"I think it's very important for the Olympic Movement. It's very important for winter sports around the world."
Prince Albert also mentioned how a greener and more sustainable Beijing Winter Olympics will leave a great legacy for the future of winter sports in terms of the reuse and repurposing of existing venues, and the use of renewable energies, especially the changes brought about for Beijing and China by the country's increasing participation in winter sports.
As Beijing becomes the first city to host both Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Prince Albert spoke highly of the importance China places on the Olympic legacy, which is "a great showcase to inspire other organizing committees and cities around the world to do the same thing with their facilities and venues."
- Xinhua
Caption: Prince Albert II of Monaco gives thethumbs-up during the opening ceremony of the 24th Olympic Winter Games at theNational Stadium in Beijing on Friday. – Xinhua
